Elisa Aurich ’24

Having worked predominantly in Europe with an MBA from a school in Asia, I saw the MAM program as an excellent opportunity to broaden my horizons in the United States. The flexible curriculum surprised me with its breadth and depth and let me explore various topics of interest. There are even courses in niche areas, such as Entrepreneurship through Acquisition, which gave me a better handle on a topic I’m personally interested in. I’ve also appreciated the quality and relevance of the so-called “soft-skill courses,” like Mastering Influence and Persuasion and Global Leadership: Personal and Interpersonal Effectiveness. They’ve helped me work on the skills and the awareness that leaders need most.

I wanted a program with classmates who share my values. Yale SOM’s commitment to serve both “business and society” really resonates with me. SOM students are smart, driven, and diverse, and the school community is small compared to other U.S. business schools, which fosters meaningful connections. As an MAM student, I’ve been able to interact not only with my program peers but with MBA and other master’s degree students across the school. Hearing the stories of my classmates in the First-Gen/Low-Income Club, and how they overcame obstacles to pursue their dreams, was deeply inspiring. They enriched my experience and sense of belonging. I know the network of friends I’ve made at Yale will provide invaluable support as I move forward.

The ability to leverage the broader Yale University network was a pleasant surprise. Taking classes at Yale Law School and at Yale College added new dimensions to my academic experience. And the abundance of club activities and speaker events at Yale SOM, as well as across the university, exceeded my expectations. I heard Nancy Pfund, founder and managing partner of DBL Partners, speak, as well as Seema Hingorani, managing director and senior client advisor at Morgan Stanley. Their pioneering work and unwavering commitment to create more diversity in the field of finance made a lasting impression on me.